| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | | Presented by |  | | | With help from Cris Seda Chabrier
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City Comptroller Brad Lander has switched from "Latinx" to "Latine" to be more inclusive of queer Latinx communities. | Roy Rochlin/Getty Images | NEW YORK MINUTE: Mayor Eric Adams isn’t feeling well, and will have a limited public schedule this week to make time for doctors’ appointments and medical tests, Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said in a surprise Sunday night statement. Levy declined to share more about the mayor’s health. “Like every other New Yorker, Mayor Adams has a right to privacy when it comes to personal matters,” he said, “but we will continue to communicate in the unlikely event he is unable to fully discharge his duties on any particular day.” If Adams is unable to fill his role as mayor, First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer would step in temporarily. ANOTHER MINUTE: Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar is planning to challenge incumbent Jumaane Williams for the role of New York City public advocate, POLITICO first reported Sunday. The close ally of the mayor had been running for city comptroller but is dropping that campaign to make the switch. WORD CHOICE: Brad Lander has X-ed the X in Latinx. The New York City Comptroller and candidate for mayor declared in September his office would embrace the term Latine “because it represents evolving language that more accurately reflects the range of backgrounds and gender identities encompassed by the diverse and sprawling Latin Diaspora.” The conclusion was included in a statistical report Lander released on New York’s Latine population. The first two pages defined terms and explained the office’s use of “Latine,” a growing but niche term referring to people of any gender with origins in Latin America. “Latine” marked a shift for the comptroller’s office, which previously used the term “Latinx” in reports and statements — dating back to the term of Scott Stringer who’s now, like Lander, running for mayor. Democrats’ sweeping losses in November amplified conversations about lefty politicians’ evolving use of PC language unfamiliar to many voters. Think “BIPOC,” “cisgender,” “reproductive justice” or using “center” as a verb. They say it’s meant to be inclusive; critics say it shows they’re out of touch. “Latinx” has gotten the most heat — and it’s been denounced by some Democrats who say most people don’t use the term. Rep. Ritchie Torres called out the Yankees for using the term in a tweet in 2022, prompting a clapback from his political foe, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said, “Another person’s identity is not about your reelection prospects.” Lander’s reputation as an extremely conscientious liberal is well-earned, so the verbiage didn’t surprise political consultant Claudia Granados, even as she rolled her eyes. “Latine, -x, -y, -z people,” she told Playbook, “they’re probably going to vote for him anyway. But I think Latinos — everyday working-class people and everyday Latinos who are worried about housing and bread-and-butter issues — will more than likely not be voting for him.” Just 1 percent of U.S. Latinos prefer the term Latine, and 2 percent favor Latinx, according to Pew Research Center. And of those familiar with the term Latinx, three-quarters said it shouldn’t be used. Pew published its report days before Lander’s came out. “We chose to use the term Latine to more inclusively reflect the sprawling Latin American Diaspora in New York,” the fact sheet’s author, Chief Equity Officer Sadye Campoamor, said in a statement when Playbook reached out to Lander’s office — adding that it’s easier to pronounce in Spanish that Latinx. Lander’s campaign website avoids the loaded choice, vowing to protect “Hispanic” New Yorkers from hate crimes. Stringer declined to comment on the comptroller’s office adopting Latinx in the first place in 2018 when he ran the office. Mayoral agencies and offices, under Adams and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, have stuck with using “Latino,” with rare exception. Adams hosted a Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month Celebration in 2022, but called it “Hispanic” the following two years. The New York City Council is split. Of the bills introduced in 2024, 11 used “Latino,” 10 used “Latinx” and 0 used “Latine” according to a review of the council website. And the only Latina candidate in the mayoral race, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, uses “Latino” in posts. — Jeff Coltin IT’S MONDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment: Short-term rentals are a lifeline for NYC homeowners, allowing them to afford their homes, stay in their communities, and contribute to local businesses. Big hotel investors and special interests want to make it harder for homeowners to rent out space in their homes—all to pad hotels' bottom lines. Strong homeowners make for strong NYC neighborhoods. Support Bill 1107. LEARN MORE. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany with no public public. WHERE’S ERIC? No public schedule — see the New York Minute above. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Coming up on term limits, you have no choice but to seek other employment.” — New York City Council Republican Leader Joe Borelli, to the New York Post, on resigning early to lobby for Chartwell Strategy Group.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | 
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing an ad campaign that could cost him votes from the Black community. | Kent Nishimura/Getty Images | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s likely mayoral campaign is getting pushback in the form of a six-figure ad campaign today that attacks his Covid record and tries to peel away support from Black voters. United for a Brighter Tomorrow, a 501(c)(4), will air TV, digital and radio spots over the next two weeks ahead of Cuomo’s expected February entrance into the mayor’s race. Polling has shown he’s the heavy favorite as Adams battles an indictment and low approval ratings. The group’s status shields it from having to disclose its donors. A “low-to-mid six-figure” sum will be spent on the ad campaign, according to a person familiar with the planning who was granted anonymity to discuss the details of the effort. A 60-second radio ad, set to air on stations with predominantly Black listenership, will blast Cuomo’s past gaffes — including his criticism that Barack Obama couldn’t “shuck and jive” through the 2008 presidential primary — as well as assumed political maneuvers against Black politicians like former Gov. David Paterson. “Andrew Cuomo didn’t care much about Black New Yorkers until he got into trouble, and then that’s when he needed us to bail him out,” the ad’s narrator says. A separate 30-second TV spot, appearing on cable and digital platforms, takes aim at Cuomo’s handling of Covid and the sexual harassment claims that drove him from office in 2021. Cuomo has never been charged in either scandal, and one of the women who accused him of harassment dropped a lawsuit against him. Separately, a U.S. Department of Justice inspector general recently determined the first Trump administration targeted Democratic governors, including Cuomo, over Covid nursing home policies. The organization has turned to Bertha Lewis, founder of the Black Leadership and Action Coalition, who questioned the depth of Cuomo’s support among voters of color. Lewis has been part of a variety of causes over the years. “A central narrative at the core of Andrew Cuomo’s comeback attempt is that his enduring support among Black New Yorkers will provide him with a strong base to rehabilitate his damaged reputation,” Lewis said. “The reality is much more complicated. Any comeback attempt would resurface a long-standing pattern of divisive politics towards the Black community which Cuomo will be forced to defend.” Cuomo has not declared his candidacy for mayor, but he’s already shaking up the race. Several recent polls, including some conducted by his would-be opponents, show him with overwhelming support from Democratic voters and easily defeating Adams and lesser-known challengers. The ads would be the most robust effort to date in a bid to stop Cuomo’s candidacy. A separate organization, New Yorkers for Better Government, formed last year, but significant spending has not materialized. A group with the same name attacking Cuomo most recently listed a Georgia address in an IRS filing, but otherwise has little public profile. The document lists Lora Haggard, a former Sen. Bernie Sanders campaign treasurer, as a compliance officer. “This is all premature, but New Yorkers aren’t stupid and this DSA-affiliated astroturf organization from Georgia is not going to tell them what to think, but hey, if they want to light their dark money on fire, so be it,” Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said in a statement. “New Yorkers know that Andrew Cuomo spent a lifetime delivering for them — founding the nation’s largest homelessness provider, taking on the KKK and delivering billions to public housing systems around the country as HUD secretary and, as governor, enacting the country’s most ambition MWBE legislation, raising wages for millions of workers and fighting discrimination and hate in all its forms.” Cuomo’s allies pushed back against claims he would struggle with Black voters — or that his support would be damaged by the ads. “New Yorkers, America, the world, saw Gov. Cuomo on TV during Covid,” said Bishop Orlando Findlayter of New Hope Christian Fellowship. “That’s a picture that’s going to be in their mind, the person who led us through Covid.” Added the Rev. Johnnie Green: “The Black community is tired of outsiders coming in and telling us who is good for us and not good for us. I take offense at that, as though we don't have the wherewithal to decide what's good for our community.” — Nick Reisman
| | | | Power shifts, razor-thin margins, and a high-stakes agenda. We’ve transformed our coverage—more reporters, more timely insights, and unmatched policy scoops. From leadership offices to committee rooms, caucus meetings, and beyond, our expert reporting keeps you ahead of the decisions that matter. Subscribe to our Inside Congress newsletter today. | | | | | | | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | 
Scott Stringer's client list included both a teacher's union and a hedge-fund background. | Jeenah Moon/Getty Images | STRINGER’S CLIENT LIST: Mayoral candidate Scott Stringer’s consulting and lobbying firm counted among its clients the American Federation of Teachers — the parent union to the UFT, which spends big in local elections — and a hedge-fund-backed group that fought against federal financial transparency rules, according to public records and a client list provided by his campaign. After serving eight years as city comptroller — and losing the 2021 Democratic primary — Stringer created EMMS Strategy in January 2022. He was a registered lobbyist on behalf of food logistics and supply chain company Umoja. For his campaign, Stringer is proposing a prohibition on city agencies hiring people who have lobbied them in the last year. Stringer himself last reported lobbying the city in December 2023, more than a year before he would reenter city service if he won. POLITICO’s Joe Anuta and Jeff Coltin have more on Stringer’s consulting work — and other candidate’s personal finances. IT’S A SETUP: The mayor tried Sunday evening to preserve the notion his federal bribery case is politically motivated. In a letter to the court, Adams’ attorney sought to discredit a recent statement from prosecutors that undermined the mayor’s persecution theory. “If the government thought there was ‘concrete evidence’ that Mayor Adams had committed crimes as of 2021, it begs the question why it took the government two more years to actually secure search warrants and begin approaching supposed key witnesses,” Alex Spiro wrote. “Beginning in 2023, under the direction of [former U.S. Attorney] Damian Williams, those investigative steps were taken and intentionally splashed all over the media. The timing and facts speak for themselves.” Adams believes his criticism of former President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration spurred Biden’s team to sic the Department of Justice on the outspoken mayor. He and his team say prosecutors then ginned up bogus bribery charges — with the potential for decades behind bars — and tarred him in the press just as he was set to face reelection in the Democratic primary. (His trial begins in April; the election is June 24.) There’s only one problem with Adams’ timeline, the interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York wrote in a filing last week: The feds began their probe in 2021, well before the relationship between Adams and the White House soured. Spiro argued in his letter to Judge Dale Ho Sunday that nearly every New York City mayor has been the subject of some type of probe. Therefore, he said, citing the existence of an investigation into Adams does not preclude the idea Williams was dispatched on a political hatchet job. — Joe Anuta BITING BACK: City Council Member Susan Zhuang is due for a status conference in Brooklyn Criminal Court this morning after getting charged with assault and other counts for allegedly biting a cop while protesting a homeless shelter. Since Zhuang’s arrest in July, she has denied purposefully biting the NYPD officer and has formed a legal defense fund that’s raised more than $66,000. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Borelli is backing fellow Staten Islander David Carr to replace him as Minority Leader (City & State) … and radio host Frank Morano to fill his seat. (New York Post) — As the city spends more than ever on special education, new legal filings are shedding light on alleged reimbursement fraud centered on students attending Hasidic Jewish schools. (Gothamist) — If a judge chooses to hand control of Rikers to a receiver, City Hall said it should be the current correction commissioner who oversees Rikers. (Queens Eagle)
| | | | A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment:  
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Education officials worry that Gov. Kathy Hochul's smartphone ban could negatively impact undocumented students. | Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul | PHONE TIME: Gov. Kathy Hochul sought to reassure the state’s top education officials that a proposed student cell phone ban wouldn’t hurt kids whose families could be deportation targets. “We’re going to make exceptions, this is not punitive,” the governor said in an interview with Spectrum News’ “Capital Tonight.” “This is simply saying, ‘We’re going back to where it used to be.’” Hochul was responding to concerns raised last week by state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa and Board of Regents Chancellor Lester Young. They’d said blocking students from having access to their phones “bell to bell” during the school day could fuel anxiety for immigrant families as the new Trump administration moves forward with an aggressive deportation policy. “My biggest concern is the timing, given the shift in our children going through trauma and anxiety,” Rosa said. Education commissioners are not appointed by the governors, an arrangement that has given Rosa freer rein to criticize Hochul’s policies. The two have also differed over school consolidation proposals. Hochul proposed $13.5 million last week to help schools implement a phone ban during school hours, a plan that requires legislative approval and would allow schools to determine how to store phones. — Nick Reisman DSA IN COURT: The Democratic Socialists of America’s state PAC was ordered to pay up to $212,069 after a judge ruled the group exceeded contribution limits to candidates for state Legislature in 2022. But DSA’s lawyer blamed a paperwork mishap and vowed to appeal. On Tuesday, an Albany County judge upheld a Board of Elections hearing officer’s determination that the DSA For the Many PAC bent the rules by giving tens of thousands of dollars to candidates including Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha and state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez. That would have been fine and legal with proper authorization from the candidates, but the PAC didn’t get that. DSA argues the candidates knew exactly what was happening and that the PAC was doing its best to follow contradictory directions from the BOE. The New York Times first wrote about the case last year, raising the question of whether DSA was being targeted for enforcement by the typically anemic BOE. The PAC reported $66,778 on hand this month. — Jeff Coltin REVENUE RACE: State lawmakers want to find ways of raising new tax revenue in order to close a gaping hole in the MTA’s capital plan. The push coincides with a broader and conflicting message on the state’s main revenue source, the personal income tax. Hochul is pressing for a $1 billion tax cut. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has called for ending the personal income tax for low-wage earners. And with a projected $3.5 billion surplus to close out the fiscal year, an argument for new taxes to generate more cash is not the easiest sell following an election that hinged in part on voters’ cost-of-living concerns. Brooklyn Sen. Andrew Gounardes has a starting point with a recent report that took aim at the myriad tax breaks New York offers — and the lost money as a result. The state forgoes $23 million in fraternity dues, $7 million for boat purchases, and a “stunning” $601 million in revenue for the sale of precious metals like gold bullion, Gounardes found. “Our top budget priority should be making life easier, safer, and more affordable for New York families, not subsidizing gold bars and private jet repair,” Gounardes said. “But when our budget includes absurd loopholes and carve-outs like these, everyday New Yorkers often end up paying the price. New Yorkers deserve a fair, transparent budget that puts their needs first.” Finding new sources of money will be the topic du jour today when state lawmakers and union leaders — including New York AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento and NYSUT President Melinda Person — hold a Capitol news conference to call for “revenue raisers.” Hochul has steadfastly opposed an income tax hike. Her proposed $252 billion budget extends high tax rates approved in 2020 on very rich New Yorkers but does not include significant broad-based increases in taxes or fees. “I’m not interested in raising income taxes because we are a high-tax state,” Hochul said in a Friday interview with Capital Tonight. Still, the public debate is being obscured by Hochul not including a proposal in her budget to find some $33 billion to fully fund the $68 billion MTA capital plan after top legislative leaders in December rejected an initial plan. The governor has insisted the ball is now in the Legislature’s court. Revenue from the congestion pricing toll program is expected to raise $1 billion, which will be leveraged for $15 billion in bonds to help shore up the region’s shambolic mass transit infrastructure. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Politicians — including Hochul — are eager to capitalize on the Bills' success. (Buffalo News) — Construction industry officials say soaring building costs need to be addressed. (Times Union) — The latest version of a bill to crack down on mask-wearing in public would not institute a direct ban. (City & State)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi could face a contentious reelection campaign against Nassau County Republicans. | Stephanie Keith/Getty Images | NASSAU GOP EYES 2026: This time last year, the Nassau County Republican Party controlled all the House seats within its boundaries and had bragging rights as a redder suburb in a conventionally blue state. Now, it’s facing off against Reps. Tom Suozzi, who returned to Congress after George Santos’ ouster, and Laura Gillen, who unseated Anthony D’Esposito in an expensive fight. Both Democrats tack center, especially on border security, and repeatedly cite a willingness to work with Republicans. “I was proud to vote for the bipartisan immigration bill, now headed to the president’s desk, aimed to keep our communities safe,” Gillen said at her district swearing-in ceremony on Saturday of the Laken Riley Act. Nassau GOP Chair Joe Cairo said in an interview that Suozzi and Gillen’s 2024 opponents, Mike LiPetri and D’Esposito, could potentially run again in 2026. “We’ll see what happens the next two years,” Cairo said. “And we’re going to work real hard, maybe correct some of the things that we should have done. And two years from now, we think we’ll be in a strong position.” Gillen and Suozzi voted for bills requiring the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with crimes — including shoplifting — and making sexual and domestic violence deportable offenses. Both positions align with concerns voters registered in polls and at the ballot box last year. Cairo noted that they also voted against a bill restricting transgender athletes in women’s sports. He accused them of being disingenuous. “They know what the feeling of the country is, of the county is, of the district is, the world’s upside down, and they’re going to try to pretend to be Republican,” Cairo charged. Gillen and Suozzi responded with a focus on their commitment to bipartisanship. “It’s way too soon to focus on the campaign in 2026,” Suozzi said. “I am busy working across party lines to secure the border, fix the broken asylum system while treating people like human beings and we have to restore the SALT deduction … and about 50 other things!” Gillen campaign spokesperson Vidhya Jeyadev said, “Voters sent Laura to Congress to work across the aisle and get things done for Long Island. She’s already made good on that promise just weeks into her first term.” — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demands the reinstatement of the federal school shooting safety board axed by Trump. (Daily News) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the Democrats need to be “a party of brawlers for the working class.” (“The Weekly Show” with Jon Stewart) — Most of the House Democratic caucus has signed on to a resolution, led in part by Rep. Gregory Meeks, opposing Trump’s move to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. (The Hill)
| | | | New Year. New Washington. New Playbook. With intensified congressional coverage and even faster delivery of policy scoops, POLITICO’s reimagined Playbook Newsletter ensures you’re always ahead of the conversation. Sign up today. | | | | | | | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — A Partnership for New York City report found a fully funded MTA capital plan would boost the metropolitan region’s economy. (NY1) — A man charged with beating cops during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Edward Jake Lang, is considering a run against Democratic Upstate Rep. Josh Riley. (New York Post) — More than 80,000 school bus camera tickets were issued in and around Long Island school districts that never agreed to participate in the program. (Newsday)
| | A message from Homeowners for Financial Empowerment: Owning a home in NYC has always been a dream. But with skyrocketing costs and high mortgage rates, that dream is slipping away for too many. Short-term rentals were a lifeline for NYC homeowners who now find themselves more vulnerable than ever. Under Local Law 18, one- and two-family homeowners who relied on home sharing to maintain and stay in their homes experienced devastating financial losses, facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, being forced to come out of retirement, and even to leave NYC. Small, neighborhood homeowners who live in their homes full-time deserve a say over how and when to rent out space in their homes. Big hotel investors and special interests want to make it harder for homeowners—all to pad hotels' bottom lines. Help homeowners save their homes and communities. LEARN MORE. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman
MAKING MOVES: Jim Walden’s New York City mayoral campaign has hired Peter Brown — former chief strategist of Kathryn Garcia’s 2021 campaign — as chief campaign strategist …
Darrell Camp is now director of media and strategy for Relentless Awareness. He was previously comms director for the Albany County DA’s office, and is a former LCA reporter. … Lizzie Landau will be a VP in SKDK’s New York office. She previously was NYC comms director for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and is a Harris campaign alum. … Tricia McLaughlin is now assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. She most recently was a PR and political consultant and an ABC News political contributor. She is an alum of Vivek Ramaswamy’s presidential campaign and the Trump first term State and Treasury Departments. — Richard Davis, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100 has agreed to step down from his job after being suspended amid an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving a subordinate. (Daily News) HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Community Preservation Corp.’s Rafael E. Cestero … Peter Gannon of United Way of the Greater Capital Region … Derek Evers of the New York City Comptroller’s office … Keith Olbermann … NYC SBS’s Yurij Pawluk … Meredith Kelly of Declaration Media … Circle’s Jared Favole … Heather Nauert … Lisa Kaplan, founder and CEO of online risk mitigation firm Alethea … former Rep. Dick Ottinger (D-N.Y.) (96) … Kayla Ermanni … (WAS SUNDAY): Jim Papa of Global Strategy Group … Vito Pitta … BSJ’s Robin Brown and Samara Daly … Yoselin Genao-Estrella of Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens … Park&K’s Jennifer Manley … Matt Miller … WSJ’s Olivia Beavers … Morgan Pearlman … Jon Tomashoff … Kendall Clark … Lindsay Bomar … Joan Nathan ... Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch ... Daryn Kagan … (WAS SATURDAY): NYT’s Jeremy Peters … WaPo’s Michael Scherer … Jim Axelrod … Joe Conason of The National Memo … O’Donnell & Associates’ Kara Hughes … City Hall’s Kate Dempsey … Nancy Gibbs … Evan Lukaske of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) office … Brunswick Group’s Kevin Helliker … Emily Passer … Dae Lim … Sefira Fialkoff … (WAS FRIDAY): Newsmax’s Rick Leventhal ... Robert Bush ... Michael Krasna Missed Friday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
